Not applicable.
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Not applicable.
The present invention relates to enclosure beds. More particularly, the present invention relates to enclosure beds having external frames. Additionally, the present invention relates to enclosure beds that can removably receive a hospital bed therein.
In medical treatment situations, it is sometimes necessary to physically restrain certain patients in order to provide protection for themselves and/or others. For example, adults and children having dementia, psychiatric or mental disorders, or other kinds of physical and/or mental problems may need to be restrained. In the past, these people have been physically restrained by using ties, straps or vests. However, the use of these kinds of restraints can cause severe discomfort and can impede emergency treatment. In addition, these kinds of restraints must frequently be removed during the day for a variety of reasons, such as to allow the person to exercise his or her muscles, or to clean or feed the patient.
One alternative to using physical restraints involves the use of an enclosure bed. Typically, the enclosure bed includes a supporting framework and a knitted covering which is fitted over the sides and the top of the framework. The knitted covering is provided with zippered areas which can be readily opened and closed in order to provide access to the interior of the enclosure. Thus, the enclosure bed provides a more humane, safe and less restrictive environment for the person.
Unfortunately, a major problem with the use of such enclosure beds is the inability to move the enclosure bed after it is installed. Typically, specialized personnel must be called in so as to move the enclosure bed. In certain instances, the enclosure bed must be dismantled so that the hospital bed (on the interior of the enclosure bed) can be moved. In other circumstances, in order to move a patient from the enclosure bed to another location, the patient would have to be lifted and transferred to mobile bed. The difficulty in actually moving the enclosure bed has discouraged the use of such enclosure beds.
In the past, various U.S. patents have issued relating to such enclosure beds. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,387, issued on Feb. 10, 1987 to Bondy et al., teaches an enclosure for a bed which provides protection for patients. The enclosure is formed of a supporting framework and an associated covering provided with suitably arranged zippered areas for achieving access to the patient from the exterior of the enclosure. The frame of the enclosure bed has a rectangular structure which is designed so as to rest flatly upon a floor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,925, issued on Jan. 31, 1995 to R. L. Vail, teaches an improved bed enclosure which is provided with a unique supporting structure which increases the vertical stability of the bed enclosure. The bed enclosure includes a frame having at least four upright side posts, each including an upper portion and a lower portion. The frame also includes upper frame support members interconnecting the upper portions of the side posts together and lower frame support members interconnecting the lower portions of the side posts together. The frame defines a pair of generally vertical side walls of a predetermined length and a pair of opposing end walls of a predetermined width. At least one support leg associated with each of the side walls is secured to the lower portion of the side posts and is engageable with the floor at a point spaced outwardly from the respective side wall. A bar extends in a horizontal orientation so as to rest flatly upon the floor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,732, issued on Jul. 28, 1998 to R. L. Vail, describes another type of bed enclosure which is provided with a side rail which is movably mounted to the frame of the bed enclosure by a hinge assembly. The bed enclosure includes side posts having bottoms which support the enclosure directly upon the floor. The hospital bed is retained on the interior of the bed enclosure. The wheels of the hospital bed will reside independently upon the same floor upon which the bottoms of the side posts reside.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,291, issued on Apr. 17, 2001 to the present inventors, describes an enclosure bed apparatus having a bed with a mattress supported on a bed frame, and wheels rotatably supported on a bottom thereof so as to rollably support the mattress on a floor. An enclosure frame extends over the mattress and has a lower portion affixed to the bed frame such that the bottoms of the legs are supported at a distance above the floor. An enclosure is affixed to enclosure frame so as to extend over and around the mattress. A clamp is used to connect the lower portion of the enclosure frame to the bed frame. The enclosure has a top and a plurality of side walls and a bottom. The bottom of the enclosure is interposed between the mattress and the bed frame. The top of the enclosure extends over and around the upper structure of the enclosure frame.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an enclosure bed having an external frame.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an enclosure bed that can be easily assembled and disassembled.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an enclosure bed which facilitates easy cleaning and replacement of the canopy.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an enclosure bed which does not require specialized labor for movement or assembly.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an enclosure bed which is adaptable to a wide variety of existing hospital beds.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.
The present invention is an enclosure bed apparatus comprising legs extending downwardly from an upper structure, and a canopy affixed to the frame so as to define a three dimensional space therein. The upper structure of the frame has side bars and end bars arranged in a generally rectangular configuration. The frame also has a lower structure connected to the legs and also has a generally rectangular configuration with cross members affixed respectively to the legs at opposite ends of the frame and having longitudinal members affixed respectively to the cross members and extending therebetween in a generally parallel relationship.
The canopy of the present invention has a pair of sleeves at opposite sides of a top thereof. This pair of sleeves respectively receives the side bars of the upper structure therein. The canopy also has vertical sleeve members extending downwardly at the corners thereof. The vertical sleeve member serves to receive at least a portion of the respective legs therein. The canopy also has a pair of horizontal sleeve members extending outwardly from respective end edges of a top thereof. The pair of horizontal sleeve serves to receive respective end bars of the upper structure therein.
Each of the vertical sleeve members includes a first vertical section having an edge affixed with a canopy and a second vertical section having an edge affixed to the canopy. The vertical sleeve member has a strip of hook-and-loop material extending along an opposite edge of the first vertical section and has a complementary strip of hook-and-loop material extending along an opposite edge of the second vertical section. The strips of hook-and-loop material are removably affixed to each other so as to extending around the legs""s. Similarly, the pair of horizontal sleeves has a similar structure with hook-and-loop material extending around the edges so as to allow the horizontal sleeves to be properly affixed around the end bars of the upper structure of the frame.
Each of the end bars of the upper structure comprises a bar extending horizontally between a respective pair of the legs, a first insert element at one end of the bar received by a respective side bar within a respective sleeve, a second insert element at the same end of the bar and received by one of the pair of legs within the vertical sleeve members, a third insert element at an opposite end of the bar and received by another side bar within another interior of the sleeve, and a fourth insert element at the opposite end of the bar and received by another of the pair of legs within another vertical sleeve member. The second insert element extends transverse to the first insert element. Similarly, the fourth insert element extends transverse to the third insert element.
In the present invention, the frame has a plurality of wheels affixed to a bottom of the lower structure so as to allow the frame to be rolled along the surface.
The canopy includes a first side panel, a second side panel, a first end panel connected to an end of each of the first and second side panels, a second end panel connected to an opposite end of each of the first and second side panels, a top panel extending across the upper structure and connected to a top edge of each of the first and second side panels and a bottom panel connected to a bottom edge of each of the first and second side panels. At least one of the panels has a netting affixed hereto. This netting is in zippered completely removable relationship within the panel.
In the present invention, there is provided a bed with a mattress supported on a bed frame. The bed frame has wheels rotatably connected at a bottom thereof so as to rollably support the mattress upon a floor. The bed frame is retained within the enclosure bed frame. The bottom panel is interposed between the mattress and the bed frame.